Sales Training. Close It Now!

Sam Wakefield
  • 4.7 (95)
  • Careers
  • Updated Biweekly

Closing sales in home services can feel overwhelming and high-pressure. In every episode, we break down the key components of a successful sales conversation and guide you all the way to the close. From building a winning appointment structure to overcoming real-world objections, we cover it all. Whether you’re brand new or a seasoned pro, this show is your blueprint for selling with confidence and clarity.

  1. 2d ago

    They Said Nothing Would Change,Then Everything Did. The PE episode. | Josh Baca

    They said nothing would change. Then everything did. Sam Wakefield and Josh Baca have both lived the private equity acquisition from the front lines. Not from the boardroom. Not from the highlight reel. From the trucks, the sales calls, and the moments when you realize the company you believed in has become something you no longer recognize. Josh spent three and a half years and closed $10.6 million in sales before making his exit. Sam lasted six weeks after the sale before handing in his notice the same afternoon a GM suggested offering a homeowner a box of filters instead of fixing the drywall his crew cracked. This is that conversation. In this episode: How Sam found out his company sold in an all hands meeting disguised as an insurance enrollmentWhy 80% turnover in the first year after a PE sale is more common than anyone admitsWhat private equity does well and where it consistently breaks downWhy the culture always fractures from the top down and what could be done differentlyHow lead quality and qualification standards quietly erode after an acquisitionWhy the people who were there from the beginning feel it the hardestThe comment that was the straw that broke the camel's back for JoshWhat it looks like to exit professionally when everything in you wants to walk outWhy your skill set in this industry is repeatable, scalable, and fully portableHow to channel frustration into your next move instead of burning bridges on the way out Connect with Josh Baca: TikTok: @joshbaca5 Instagram: josh.baca.716 Facebook: Josh Baca Email: boss76.jb@gmail.com Connect with Sam Wakefield: Website: https://www.closeitnow.net Email: sam@closeitnow.net Instagram: @therealcloseitnow Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/samuel.l.wakefield LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/closeitnow/ Join the Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/closeitnow Want Sam and Josh at your company for a full day of training and ride-alongs? Loop both in on the same email. sam@closeitnow.net | boss76.jb@gmail.com Book with Sam: calendar.app.google/KZH1j2Q1MAXTKbT38 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Google. Every review gets read, and if yours gets read on air you earn a no-charge one-on-one coaching session with Sam directly. Google: https://g.page/r/CbfnnDqTCwQdEAE/review

    They Said Nothing Would Change,Then Everything Did. The PE episode. | Josh Baca

  2. Aug 21

    Branding Won't Save a Broken Business | Dan Antonelli, Kickcharge Creative

    Great branding will never fix poor operations. It will only make poor operations more visible, more expensive, and harder to recover from. Dan Antonelli has been in the branding world for over 40 years. He started hand lettering trucks at 15 years old, built Kickcharge Creative into the most recognized branding company in home services, added a full digital marketing division serving 60 to 70 home service companies, and now owns a vehicle wrap company. Branding, start to finish, under one roof. He has seen what happens when a brand is done right and rolled out correctly. And he has seen what happens when a company invests in a great brand and then does nothing with it. In this episode he and Sam pull back the curtain on both. In this episode: Why great branding accelerates good operations and destroys bad onesThe number one mistake contractors make when naming their companyWhy visibility is only one piece of what a brand is supposed to doHow Economy Plumbing rebranded as Plumbing Pals and increased average tickets by $200 per callWhy a sales rep went from a $12,000 average ticket to $18,500 after a rebrandWhat branding does to consumer psychology and why it has not changed in 100 yearsWhy your brand should be built for her, not for youThe difference between a brand that becomes culture and a brand that becomes eye candyHow bad rollout kills a good brand before it ever gets a chance to workWhy you should fix your systems before investing in branding if you only have one set of dollarsWhen a startup should invest in branding and what needs to be in place firstWhen an existing company is ready to rebrand and what has to be dialed in before they pull the triggerWhy AI is not part of their process and what 200 combined years of experience actually brings to a project Connect with Dan Antonelli and Kickcharge Creative: Website: kickchargecreative.com Book: Branded Not Blanded, available on Amazon Connect with Sam Wakefield: Website: https://www.closeitnow.net Email: sam@closeitnow.net Instagram: @therealcloseitnow Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/samuel.l.wakefield LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/closeitnow/ Join the Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/closeitnow Bring This Training to Your Team: Sam travels nationwide to deliver on-site training for home services companies serious about raising their close rate and average ticket. Half day classroom, half day ride-alongs. Your team, your market, your systems. Book a call with Sam: calendar.app.google/KZH1j2Q1MAXTKbT38 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Google. Every review gets read, and if yours gets read on air you earn a no-charge one-on-one coaching session with Sam directly. Google: https://g.page/r/CbfnnDqTCwQdEAE/review

    Branding Won't Save a Broken Business | Dan Antonelli, Kickcharge Creative

  3. Aug 14

    ADHD, Autism, and the Trades | Normalizing Neurodiversity in Home Services | Dr. Matt Vorell

    One in five people are neurodivergent. Half of them do not know it. And in home services and the trades, the number is likely even higher. The autonomy, the problem solving, the independence, the hands-on nature of the work attracts a certain kind of brain. And that brain, whether it carries an ADHD diagnosis, an autism spectrum disorder, or just a lifelong feeling of being wired differently, is showing up every day in your trucks, on your sales calls, and in your leadership seats. Dr. Matt Vorell is a PhD in Organizational Communication from the University of Colorado and a professor at St. Cloud State University. He is autistic, academically credentialed, and deeply passionate about normalizing this conversation in the workplace. His message is simple: different, not less. In this episode: Why the trades attract a higher likelihood of neurodivergent individuals than most industriesWhat autism spectrum disorder actually is and what it is notThe difference between top-down and bottom-up thinking and what it reveals about your teamWhy 90% of autistic individuals are either under or unemployedWhy 75 to 80% of autistic individuals never disclose their status at workHow masking works and the toll it takes on the people doing it every dayThe vaccine and Tylenol claims debunked directly by someone who has studied this for decadesThe double empathy problem and why communication responsibility has to go both waysHow to give instructions, write emails, and assign tasks in ways that actually landHow one manager turned her lowest performing employee into her top performer in two monthsPractical tools including AI as a communication translator for neurodivergent individualsBooks and resources to go deeper Recommended Resources: Temple Grandin - Different, Not Less Neurodiversity at Work by Theo Smith Kaylin Partlow on TikTok Professor Saul on TikTok Connect with Dr. Matt Vorell: LinkedIn: search Dr. Matt Vorell, Connect with Sam Wakefield: Website: https://www.closeitnow.net Email: sam@closeitnow.net Instagram: @therealcloseitnow Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/samuel.l.wakefield LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/closeitnow/ Join the Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/closeitnow Bring This Training to Your Team: Sam travels nationwide to deliver on-site training for home services companies serious about building a culture people want to stay in. Half day classroom, half day ride-alongs. Your team, your market, your systems. Book a call with Sam: calendar.app.google/KZH1j2Q1MAXTKbT38 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Google. Every review gets read, and if yours gets read on air you earn a no-charge one-on-one coaching session with Sam directly. Google: https://g.page/r/CbfnnDqTCwQdEAE/review

    ADHD, Autism, and the Trades | Normalizing Neurodiversity in Home Services | Dr. Matt Vorell

  4. Aug 7

    Recognize the 7 Mind Types - How Top Performers Speak Their Customer's Language

    Recognize the 7 Mind Types - How Top Performers Speak Their Customer's Language Most salespeople treat every customer the same way. They use one pitch. One approach. One way of communicating. And it doesn't work for everyone. The problem isn't you. The problem is you're not reading the person in front of you. You're not recognizing their mind type. Today Sam sits down with Ridgely Goldsborough, a serial entrepreneur who's started forty-five companies, authored twenty books, and was Jim Rohn's voice in Latin America for decades. In this episode, Ridgely teaches you how to recognize the seven different mind types so you can adapt your communication and close more deals. What You'll Learn: The seven mind types and how to spot them instantly. The Giver loves to make a difference. The Connector values trust above all else. The Problem Solver needs data to make sense of things. The Innovator always wants a better way. The Perfectionist does things right. The Rebel challenges everything. The Master wants depth. Each one is wired differently. Each one communicates differently. Why knowing someone's mind type changes everything. Once you know their mind type, you know their communication keywords. Use those words and they respond as strongly as they respond to their own name. That builds trust. That closes deals. How each mind type has a superpower and a kryptonite. The Giver's superpower is causes. Their kryptonite is overcommitment. The Connector's superpower is trust. Their kryptonite is waste. The Problem Solver's superpower is solutions. Their kryptonite is paralysis when they don't have enough data. Every mind type is exceptional at something and struggles with something else. Knowing yours means you can play to your strength and manage your weakness. Why people who think like you are easy to work with, and why everyone else is difficult. When you don't understand someone's mind type, you clash. The Giver overwhelms the Connector. The Problem Solver frustrates the Innovator. The Perfectionist stifles the Rebel. But when you understand each other's mind type, everything changes. How your personal philosophy shapes which mind type you are. What you read, listen to, watch, and who you hang around with forges who you become. That determines your mind type. That determines how you communicate. That determines your results. Potential beats talent every single time. Someone twenty percent good making one hundred calls talks to twenty people. Someone fifty percent good making ten calls talks to five. Effort beats talent. Volume beats skill. The person willing to work is the person who wins. Why This Matters: If you're struggling to close deals, you probably already know how to sell. The problem is you're not reading the person in front of you. You're using the wrong approach for the wrong mind type. This episode teaches you to recognize the seven mind types so you can adapt your communication instantly. That skill changes your close rate. About Ridgely Goldsborough: Serial entrepreneur who's started forty-five companies. Author of twenty books. Studied alongside Jim Rohn as his voice in Latin America. Two master's degrees. Studied Buddhism, personal development, and human psychology. Now runs Local Market Dominator, helping contractors and home service businesses get found online and convert prospects into customers. Ridgely's Resources: Mind Types Framework and Communication Keywords List: Search "Mind Types" online or email Sam at sam@closeitnow.net and he'll send you everything Ridgely has created. Free AI and Online Visibility Audit: Go to https://www.localmarketdominator.com. Understand how people are finding you online and what happens when they do. Ridgely offers free audits on traffic and conversion for any business. Work with Sam: Website: https://www.closeitnow.net Coaching and training: https://www.closeitnow.net/coaching Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/closeitnow Email: sam@closeitnow.net Book a call: https://calendar.app.google/KZH1j2Q1MAXTKbT38 Three Ways to Work with Sam: One: On-site training. Half-day classroom plus half-day ride-alongs with your team. Two: Virtual training. Same frameworks, delivered remotely for teams or individuals. Three: The Build. Company scaling partnership with Doug C. Brown. You built the revenue. We help you build the business. Leave a Review: Five-star review on Apple Podcasts gets you a free one-hour coaching session with Sam. Message Sam with your review and you're in. Google Review Link: https://g.page/r/CbfnnDqTCwQdEAE/review

    Recognize the 7 Mind Types - How Top Performers Speak Their Customer's Language

  5. Jul 17

    The Four Sales You Have to Make Before Anyone Says Yes

    Most salespeople think they have a price problem. They don't. After twenty years in this industry and coaching hundreds of reps and technicians across every trade, Sam knows what "I need to think about it" actually means. Something earlier in the conversation was never resolved. And until you figure out what that is, no amount of price justification is going to move that deal forward. In this episode Sam breaks down the Four Sales Framework. Four agreements every homeowner has to make before they say yes, and why most reps are trying to close the fourth one before the first three are even done. In this episode: Why price is almost never the real objectionThe four agreements every homeowner has to make before they spend money with youSale one: the company. Why credibility has to be established before anything elseSale two: the person. Why homeowners say yes to the company and still walk awaySale three: the project. Where most deals actually fall apart and why it gets the least attentionSale four: the investment. Why this one gets easy when the first three are solidHow to diagnose in real time which agreement is still openThe question that cuts through almost every stalled dealWhy dropping your price never creates certainty and what actually does Bring This Training to Your Team If this episode hit home, imagine your entire team walking out of a full day of this. Sam travels nationwide to deliver on-site training for home services companies who are serious about raising their close rate and average ticket. Half day classroom, half day ride-alongs. Your team, your market, your systems. If you want to talk about what that looks like for your company, book a call directly with Sam here: calendar.app.google/KZH1j2Q1MAXTKbT38 Connect with Sam Wakefield: Website: https://www.closeitnow.net Email: sam@closeitnow.net Instagram: @therealcloseitnow Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/samuel.l.wakefield LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/closeitnow/ Join the Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/closeitnow Leave a Review If this episode gave you something you can use, the best thing you can do is leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Google. It takes two minutes and it helps more contractors and salespeople find this show. Every review gets read, and if yours gets read on air you will earn a no-charge one-on-one coaching session with Sam directly. Apple Podcasts: search Close It Now and leave a review Google: https://g.page/r/CbfnnDqTCwQdEAE/review

  6. Jul 3

    Your Website Is Either Closing Deals or Losing Them — Which Is It? | Lisa Forrest, Contractor Commerce

    You're right on both counts. The research said 100-200 words for Apple/Spotify but that's the minimum floor, not the target. Looking back at the FM Hero episode, the show notes were substantially longer and more detailed. Let me rewrite: Lisa Forrest of Contractor Commerce joins Sam Wakefield to break down why home service contractors who show pricing online are closing more deals, winning better clients, and building websites that actually work for them around the clock. Lisa spent five years as a territory manager at Lennox before joining Contractor Commerce, where she has spent four years watching contractors transform their online presence into a legitimate revenue engine. The data is no longer supposition. It is proven. 70% of homeowners prefer a contractor who shows pricing online. Only 31% of contractors are doing it. The gap between those two numbers is where your competitors are winning business that should be yours. This conversation covers HVAC, plumbing, electrical, garage doors, roofing, windows, pools, and more. If you own or run a home services company, this one is worth your full attention. In this episode: Why showing prices online raises your close rate instead of killing itHow 45% of homeowners who get an online estimate convert to an in-home appointmentWhy contractor commerce leads close at 65% and higherHow to use your website to capture intent-ready buyers during the off seasonThe difference between transactional and relational selling in home servicesHow contractors are buying their commercial clients subscriptions to lock in service agreementsGood, better, best online pricing and how to present it without killing the conversationVersion 3: how homeowners can now go from first click to deposit without a single phone callWhy your website must be mobile optimized or you are already losing dealsThe "and not or" mindset around online leads versus traditional lead sourcesHow to turn online pricing from a cost on your website into a profit centerWhy the home services buyer has changed since the pandemic and what to do about itThe intent data opportunity most contractors are completely ignoringWhat happened when a 50-year-old Charlotte HVAC company started using Contractor Commerce and got into doors they had never been in beforeWhy authenticity and relational selling are the foundation of every close, online or in person Connect with Lisa Forrest: Website: https://www.contractorcommerce.com Email: lforrest@contractorcommerce.com LinkedIn: Lisa Forrest Connect with Sam Wakefield: Website: https://www.closeitnow.net Email: sam@closeitnow.net Instagram: @therealcloseitnow Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/samuel.l.wakefield LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/closeitnow/ Join the Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/closeitnow Summer Sales Surge 2026: Four-series live virtual training, July through October. Full bundle $1,497. hvacsalesjumpstart.com/complete-1497 Leave a review: https://g.page/r/CbfnnDqTCwQdEAE/review

  7. Jul 1

    "Who Is You?" - Refrigerant Responsibility & EPA Rules with Les Rhynard & Adam Dykstra

    Every ounce of refrigerant you leave behind is money you bought and threw in the trash. Most HVAC and home services companies have no idea how much refrigerant they're actually losing, what it's costing them, or that the EPA already has the authority to come after them for it. Not someday. Now. Sam sits down with Les Rhynard and Adam Dykstra, co-founders of FM Hero and the former founders of Rapid Recovery, the world's largest refrigerant recovery company. These guys have been in the trenches of refrigerant management since the mid-90s, and what they're seeing coming in 2029 should have every contractor paying close attention. Key Teaching Points: The regulatory burden is real, and "who" is you. Every person who touches refrigerant, from the technician to the contractor to the equipment owner, carries individual liability. The EPA clarified this in 2018-2019 and they've been enforcing it since. The Kroger case set the precedent. One hundred two and a half million dollars. Most of that wasn't fines; it was forced equipment upgrades. The fine per day per violation is calculated at $124,000. Even if you never see a number that big, losing your certification is on the table too. The heel in a disposable cylinder is not nothing. On average, nearly a pound of refrigerant stays in every can that gets thrown out. At current market pricing of $2.00 to $3.50 per pound retail, two pounds per cylinder adds up fast across a fleet of technicians. Paper logs never worked and never will. FM Hero built a mobile app around how technicians actually work, not around what compliance officers wished they would do. Scan the unit, tap through the workflow, done in about a minute. The app is free for technicians. 2029 is not a drill. The volume of 410A available to the market gets cut in half. The US recovery-to-reclaim rate is 3%. Japan runs 44%. There are currently zero SNAP-approved drop-in replacements for 410A. The only supply source is recovered refrigerant from the units already in the field. The opportunity for contractors: go into a commercial building, show the equipment owner what they don't know about their compliance burden, offer to manage it for them, and lock in the service agreement. Compliance becomes a profit center, not a cost. Every ounce counts. Download FM Hero at fmhero.com or search FM Hero in the Apple App Store or Google Play. Free compliance guides are also available at fmhero.com, no email required. Work with Sam: Website: https://www.closeitnow.net Coaching and training: https://www.closeitnow.net/coaching Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/closeitnow Email: sam@closeitnow.net Summer Sales Surge 2026: Four-series live virtual training, July through October. Full bundle $1,497. hvacsalesjumpstart.com/complete-1497 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Google to help more contractors and salespeople find this show. Google Review Link: https://g.page/r/CbfnnDqTCwQdEAE/review

    "Who Is You?" - Refrigerant Responsibility & EPA Rules with Les Rhynard & Adam Dykstra

  8. Jun 5

    If You Can't Lead One, You Can't Lead Any" - The 360° Extreme Ownership Framework

    Do you feel micromanaged right now? Your boss breathing down your neck? Asking for more details, more plans, more updates? You're probably thinking it's a boss problem. But Sam's going to tell you something that might sting: it's not your boss. It's you. And before you tune out, hear him out—because this applies at every level. Whether you're a salesperson with no team, a manager with a team, or an owner with leadership above you, the root cause is the same. Sam's lived by one principle for twenty-five years: Leader of one, leader of many. If you can't lead one, you can't lead any. And if you're feeling micromanaged, the person you're failing to lead is yourself. In this episode, Sam breaks down the three hundred sixty degree Extreme Ownership Framework and shows you exactly why you're being micromanaged and how to fix it. Key Teaching Points: The problem isn't your boss. It's extreme ownership and upstream communication. Two main categories: salesperson or technician with no team below, or manager with team below and leadership above. The three hundred sixty degree framework: lead up to your boss, lead across to your peers, lead down to your team. Layer one: the salesperson or technician. You're not taking ownership of your role. You're not communicating proactively. Layer two: the manager. You haven't taken extreme ownership of alignment with leadership above. You don't have a clear understanding of what success looks like to them. Layer three: all levels. The framework works everywhere. The One Three One Framework: Never take a problem to your manager without three ideas to solve it. Problem plus three solutions, then suggest the one you think is right. This develops trust. Real Example: Christian Stevens got a sixteen thousand dollar sale on his first appointment after training. He was four thousand dollars higher than the previous quote because he asked more questions and gained trust. The Fix: Take extreme ownership. Show them you've got it. Communicate proactively. Don't wait for them to ask. Send a text immediately after an appointment. Here's what happened. Here's the outcome. Tell them the story. Proactive communication stops micromanagement. Once they see you're on top of it, they have no reason to micromanage you anymore. Work with Sam: Website: https://www.closeitnow.netCoaching and training: https://www.closeitnow.net/coachingFacebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/closeitnowEmail: sam@closeitnow.net HVAC Sales Jumpstart 2026: Live training every Monday night, seven PM Central, starting July first. Forty-five minutes to an hour of content plus question and answer. Recorded for life. Success happens at the speed of implementation. One concept per week that you can execute immediately. Go to hvacjumpstart.com Summer Sales Surge Series 2026: Four series live virtual training June through September. Fourteen ninety-seven dollars full bundle. salesurgebundle.com Three Ways to Work with Sam: One: On-site training. Half-day classroom plus half-day ride-alongs with your team. Two: Virtual training. Same frameworks, delivered remotely for teams or individuals. Three: The Build. Company scaling partnership with Doug C. Brown. You built the revenue. We help you build the business. Key Principle: Leader of one, leader of many. If you can't lead one, you can't lead any. If you're being micromanaged, the person you're failing to lead is yourself. Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Google to help more contractors and salespeople find this show. Google Review Link: https://g.page/r/CbfnnDqTCwQdEAE/review

    If You Can't Lead One, You Can't Lead Any" - The 360° Extreme Ownership Framework
See All (297)

4.7
out of 5
95 Ratings

About

Closing sales in home services can feel overwhelming and high-pressure. In every episode, we break down the key components of a successful sales conversation and guide you all the way to the close. From building a winning appointment structure to overcoming real-world objections, we cover it all. Whether you’re brand new or a seasoned pro, this show is your blueprint for selling with confidence and clarity.

Information

  • Creator
    Sam Wakefield
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2026
  • Episodes
    297
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2019-2025 Sam Wakefield | All rights reserved
  • Show Website
    Sales Training. Close It Now!

You Might Also Like